Lock for tilting bodies



{Augi 4, 1931. 1.. E. WILLIAMS- 1,816,882

LOCK FOR TILTING BODIES Filed Jan. 2, 1929 Inflezzzar Patented Aug. 4, 1931 ire STATES PATENT orrics LEROY WILLIAMS, OF EDGERTQN, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T HIGHWAY TRAILER- COMPANY, EDGERTGN, HISCQNSZN, A CORPORATION OF XVISCQNSIN LOOK FOR rILrrnG BODIES Application filed January 2, 1929.

.This invention relates to load-carrying vehicles of the type having a body mounted for rocking or tilting laterally for discharging its load, and has for its object to provide "5 an improved form of locking and control means for securelyholding the body in upright position or permittin prompt release for discharging its load. It consists of certain features andv elements of construction in lo combination, as herein shown and described and as indicated by the claims.

Q In the drawings;

Figure. 1 is an end elevation 'ofa vehicle equippedwith the locking and control means '15 embodying the present invention.-

Figure 2 is a side elevation. Figure 3' is a fragmentary plan view of a the control linkage.

IThevehicle chosen for purpose of illus- 970 tration-includes anupwardly open hopper body, 10, carried onrockers, 11, mounted for rolling movement on transverse cross rails, i 12, which are supported on the drop frame, 13,-carried by the supporting wheels, 14. By

3 2 virtue of this construction the body is adapt ed to be rolled or tilted laterally toward either side for discharging its load. Extending upwardly at each end of the vehicle frame, adjacent the ends of the body, is an A-frame,

15, which may he a cast member or as herein shown fabricated of structural plate, 16, and angle members, 17. Secured to the upper end of each A-frame is a cast member, 18, having an undercut head, 19, providing two oppositely and obliquely disposed abutment faces, 20, adapted to be engaged by a pair of latch members, 21, at each end of the body. These latchesxare positioned so that their contact- 7 ing surfaces lie parallel to the abutting faces, 20, of-the undercut head.- The'end of each latch is beveled at 22, to permit automatic locking of the body'to the frame when it ap-.

proaches upright position, as will hereinafter be described. V

' The latch members are each guidingly supported in brackets,'24, secured to the body; a coil spring, 25, being interposed in each bracket surrounding "the latch for normally A urging the downwardly to ching poi sition. has its app-e. .nd pivotal.

Serial No. 329,867.

ly connected to one arm of a bell crank, 26, pivoted to the end of the body. be other arm of the bell cranks are pivoted to tie rods, 27, which are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to one arm of the bell cranks, 28,, 5 which are supported in brackets, 29, adjacent the corner of the body. Pivotally connected to the other arms of said bell cranks are longitudinally extending control rods, 30, disposed closely adjacent the sides of the body. '50 These rods, 30, extend in pairs from opposite ends of the body, and each pair have their adjacent ends pivotally connected adjacent the middle of said body to an operating lever, 31, at opposite sides of its pivotal support, 05 32, so that in moving the lever to the left (with respect to the showing in Figure 2) the control rods, 30, through the other linkage will cause retraction or release, of the corresponding latches at each end of the '70 retracted by their operating lever, the body is released for tilting only in the opposite direction, thus insuringthe safety of the operator. Upon returning movement of the body it will be seen that as it approaches upright position the bevel faces, 22, of the latches contact against the undercut head, 19, yieldingly forcing the latches upwardly, permitting'them to ride over the head, and when beyond the head the coil springs, 25, force the latches downwardly to engage against the sloping abutment faces, 20, of the heads. The inclination of the butting faces and latches is such that the body is firmly and positively held against vertical movement on the frame, such as might be incident to rebounding due to uneven roadway when the I et through only a portion of the linkage and is absorbed in the one-way connection, thns obviating imparting the motion to all the linkage. v I v The body locking means embodying this invention permits dispensing with the side check chains ordinarilyemployed for stabilizingthe'body on the frame. Heretofore, to

dump the body, the chainson the side opposite the direction of dumping, had to be re leased'which required some time. The'present invention provides a very convenient and simplified construction which insures stability of the body and prevents jumping or rebounding of the body with respect to its frame when the vehicle-is in transit.

My improved construction also reduces possible injury to the operator, as the control being located adjacent the center of the length of the body, permits the operator to be clear of hazardous positions." Locating the control lever centrally of the sideof the body is also of advantage that the operator may conveniently apply slightforce to start the body rolling to discharge its'load. The locking mechanism is arranged so that the body can tilt only in thedirection opposite to the side at which the operator is located; thus further guarding the safety of the operator. a Y

I claim: v 1. In combination with a vehicle frame and a body tiltably mounted thereon, an upright frame adjacent each end of the body, said upright frames eachhaving an undercut head formed with two oppositely fdisposed stop faces, and a. pair of spaced, lon

figitudinally movable latches at eachend' of the body'which engage said faces for locking the body against lateral displacement with respect to said vehicle frame, said opposed faces of the undercut head being'o-bliquely disposed and the latch members being mounted with their co-operating abutting faces extending and movable insubstantially parallel relation to the corresponding stop faces of the undercut head when the body-is in locking position.

2 111 combination with a vehicle frame and a body tiltably mounted thereon,-

upright frame adjacent each end of the-body, saidupright' frames each having an undercut head formed with two oppositely disposed .stop faces, a pair of spaced latches mounted for longitudinal movement at each end of the body and arranged for engaging said faces for locking the body against lat eral displacement with respect to'tlie vehicle frame, the-engagement of the latches with the undercut head serving also to prevent vertical displacement of the body, said latches having'beveled faces extending obliquely with respect to their stop engaging faces, and yielding means normally urging said latches-in locking pos1t1on, one of the latches of each pair on the side opposite to the direction of tilting of the body being adapted for displacement by the cam action of their beveled faces against'the undercut head as the body approaches its upright position. Y

' 3. In combination with a vehicleframe and a tiltable body thereon, an upright-frame adjacent each end of the body, a fixed abutment on each of said upright frames, a pair of spaced latches on each end of the body for engaging opposing faces of said fixed abutment-s, yielding means normally urging said latches into locking position, means carried on each side of the body for controlling said latches, and meansconnecting each of said controlling means to a corresponding latch of each pair for releasing the body, the manipulation of either controlling means permitting tilting of the body toward the opposite side, said yielding means normally returning the latchesto operative position after-the body is tilted, so as to automatical' ly lock the body to the frame as the former approaches upright position, said connecting means including a one-way connection permitting said latches to automatically lock the body to the frame as thebody approaches upright position, without imparting themotiOn back to the control'me'ans. a a r r 4;. In combination with a vehicle frame and a tiltable body, thereon, a'n uprightframe adjacent each end of the'bo'dy,' a fixed abut ment on each of'sa'id upright frames, apair of spaced la'tches'on each end of the body for engaging opposing faces of said-"fixed abutments, yielding means normally urging said latches into locking position,- means carried on eachside of the body for controlling said latches, and means connecting eachof said controlling means to a corresponding latch of each pair for releasing the body, themanipulation of either controlling means p'ermitting til-ting of the body toward the opposite side, said yielding means normally returning the latches to operative position. after the body is tilted, so asto automatically lock the bodyto the' frame as the former approaches upright position, each of said connecting means for operating the respective pairs of latches including linkage opei'ntively connected toa .bell crank pivotally mounted'on the body, said connecting means including a one-Way connection adjacent the bell crank.

LEROY E. WILLIAMS. 

